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Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)


Would you have Rafa back?   

463 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you have Rafa back?

    • Yes, as manager, immediately
    • Yes, as manager, but at some point in the future (eg if relegated)
    • Yes, in an advisory or DoF role
    • No, not in any meaningful capacity

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I think they're the definition of poor to average.

 

:thup: If Stoke are considered above average then the standard of average has gotten really low.

I think they're above average, along with Everton, Leicester and Southampton. Average is the Watfords, West Broms, West Hams of the world. No idea what we are yet.
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Was all going well on the 5-Live interview...then they started comparing him to Allardyce & Pulis with his style of play and coaching. :lol:

 

Fuck sake :lol: doesn't surprise me though, most football media is so black and white. You are either the dominating possession guy or really negative and direct.

 

The idea of any in between is completely beyond anyones comprehension.

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I hope Klopp stays for a long time.. the dippers would be a lure for Rafa to return for sure if that job was available again.

 

 

Love Klopp and think HTT is dead wrong about him not being able to win the league, but do doubt his long term ability with a team. He asks so much of his squad, that if things go wrong, they might not be able to pick things up again.

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So guess what, turns out 9 points is about what we should have from these fixtures. How strange.

 

:lol:

 

Not the 2 points that most of their weekly predictions had us on?

:lol: :lol:

 

Stelling had us down for a 2-1 defeat last week as 'Newcastle are in turmoil'...

Utterly clueless morons, all on the old pals act gravy train...

 

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So guess what, turns out 9 points is about what we should have from these fixtures. How strange.

 

:lol:

 

Not the 2 points that most of their weekly predictions had us on?

 

Mental when we have a team of championship players and had the least chance of survival from the 3 promoted teams.

 

Does that mean Brighton should have 12 points?

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Was all going well on the 5-Live interview...then they started comparing him to Allardyce & Pulis with his style of play and coaching. :lol:

 

No surprise really, Rafa does like to keep players behind the ball in possession, and  he's not averse to hitting a long ball to catch the opposition short at the back. That's where the comparison ends. For your average long ball merchant like Pardew, Allardyce and Pulis, the whole game plan is about big players and thumping the ball high as often as possible. Rafa very much likes technical players and his teams try and pass the ball and keep possession.

 

It's the sort of view you'd find being spouted by some pleb in the pub. Which is basically what we get presented to us by football experts on TV and radio for the most part.

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Good quotes from Robbie Fowler regards Rafa in the Mirror and Liverpool Echo:

 

"I have a story that tells you everything you need to know about Rafa Benitez , the manager. He lived down the bottom of my garden – or at least just a Peter Kay clearance away. And when I went back to play under him at Liverpool , I was often asked to drop off bits and pieces at his place. I was at the training ground on Christmas Day and they asked me to take round some videos and info on opponents. Rafa’s family had just gone back to Spain, so when I called round, he invited me in.

 

We went into a room where there were massive TVs on the wall, tactics boards all around, and he was in there, poring over the plans to combat the teams we were playing over the holiday period. It didn’t matter what time of year it was, he was just ­immersed in the detail of what he was doing, plotting the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. For me, it was massively ­obsessive. That is not a ­criticism, just a mark of the manager.

 

It’s the one thing Newcastle fans can bank on – Rafa will not leave a single thing to chance. Every detail, every point down to the smallest of pieces of information everyone else would assume wasn’t important, will be analysed to get to the ­deepest ­understanding of the mindset of ­opponents.

 

Let’s be clear about this, I will ­always be thankful to him because he took me back to Liverpool and, for me, that is one of the most important events of my career. The chance to go back and right a few wrongs is ­something I cherished. He can be cold, no doubt, ruthless.

 

I remember a ­statement he made to the team once, where he said he wasn’t here to be liked – and that’s spot on. It was his job to create the ­environment to win matches, no matter what it took – and that was the approach he certainly believed in.

 

Rafa won’t let ­anything stand in his way, at ­Newcastle or any other club. With little ­investment and an owner who seems keen on reducing his ­financial input, that ­attitude is ­undoubtedly their best chance of ­surviving in the Premier League. Their only chance, ­probably. He will be ruthless in doing whatever is possible to keep them up."

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